I'm sailin'
sailin'
place I've never seen
that's way down south
sweet ol' new orleans
'cause my hometown friends
treat me awfully mean

if I could holler
yeah holler
if I could scream and cry
it hurts me so when I look up in the sky
'cause my friends turn their heads
as they pass me by

now it's rainin'
it's rainin'
the wind's blowing cold
lord, I thought I heard
my train whistle blow
now I'm gonna sail so far
till I won't be back no more

pardon me
pardon me
it's so hard to stand
I ain't got no money
uncle sam has called my name
now there's not a soul
to give me a helpin' hand